“People with mental health conditions die on average 10 to 20 years earlier than the general population and smoking is the single largest reason for this shocking difference.”

As the smoking rate among the general population has decreased impressively over the past 20 years but that of young people with psychological conditions has barely changed. Action is therefore needed and the target set by The Mental Health and Smoking Partnership is to:

“reduce smoking rates among people with a mental health condition to 5% by 2035, with an interim target of 35% by 2020.”

Due to the success of vaping as a cessation aid, it is being urged that e-cigarettes are utilised to help reach these targets. Health professionals and organisations are sometimes hesitant about endorsing e-cigarettes as a stop smoking aid due to the lack of medicinal licensing however recent evidence is so resounding that health professionals are being advised to consider vaping and use e-cigarettes to their full potential.

Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK has shown strong support for e-cigarettes and also believes that e-cigarettes could be utilised to help young people with psychological conditions as Alyssa Best, Cancer Research UK said:

“E-cigarettes offer another opportunity for smokers with mental health conditions that haven’t been able to stop using other methods.”

Cancer Research UK explained that while 16% of the UK population smoke, the smoking rate on psychiatric wards can rise as high as 70%. The Mental Health and Smoking Partnership suggest that smoking is “part of the culture in too many mental health settings” and Ann McNeill, co-chair of the partnership said:

“People with a mental health condition are more than twice as likely to smoke as the general population.”